Multi-tier data storage system

Abstract

A multi-tier data storage system includes a first data storage unit for storing recently loaded data files; a second data storage unit coupled to the first data storage unit for archiving data files residing on the first data storage unit for more than a predetermined period of time; and, a third data storage unit coupled to the second data storage unit, the third data storage unit caching files archived in the second data storage unit if the data file is unavailable on the first data storage unit.

1 . A multi-tier data storage system, comprising: 
 a first data storage unit for storing digital images uploaded over a network;    a second data storage unit coupled to the first data storage unit for archiving digital images residing on the first data storage unit for more than a predetermined period; and    a third data storage unit coupled to the second data storage unit, the third data storage unit caching a requested digital image from the second data storage unit if the requested digital image is unavailable on the first data storage unit.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first data storage unit comprises an available data storage system.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second data storage unit comprises one of a jukebox and a writeable digital video disk (DVD).  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the third data storage unit comprises an available data storage system.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a backup data storage device coupled to the first data storage unit.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first data storage unit further comprises a RAID disk array.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first data storage unit periodically flushes unused digital images.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each data storage unit stores digital images based on a unique identification encoding.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the unique identification encoding includes at least one of a location value, a user identification value, a timestamp, and an image type value.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein each data storage unit has a multi-tiered directory lay-out schema.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the multi-tiered directory lay-out schema includes a tier based on the year, the month, and the day when an image is submitted.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the multi-tiered directory lay-out schema includes a tier based on the hour and the minute when an image is submitted.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the multi-tiered directory lay-out schema includes a tier based on a user identification value.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the digital images include one or more thumbnail and raw images stored on the first data storage unit.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the digital images include one or more screen image files and cached raw image files stored on the third data storage unit.  
   
   
       16 . A method for managing a multi-tier data storage system, the method comprising: 
 storing uploaded image data files in a first data storage unit;    archiving in a second data storage unit image data files residing on the first data storage unit for more than a predetermined period; and    caching in a third data storage unit an image data file stored in the second data storage unit if the image data file is unavailable on the first data storage unit.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first data storage unit comprises an available data storage system.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the second data storage unit comprises an archival device.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the third data storage unit comprises an available data storage system.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising storing image data files based on a unique identification encoding.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the unique identification encoding includes one or more of a location value, a user identification value, a timestamp, and an image type value.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein each data storage unit has a three-tiered directory lay-out schema.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the three-tiered directory lay-out schema includes a tier based on the year, the month, and the day when an image is submitted.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the three-tiered directory lay-out schema includes a tier based on the hour and the minute when an image is submitted.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the three-tiered directory lay-out schema includes a tier based on a user identification value.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the image data files include one or more thumbnail images stored on the first data storage unit.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the data files include one or more screen image files and raw image files stored on the first and third data storage unit.  
   
   
       28 . A method for generating a path name directory, comprising: 
 generating a unique file identification value based on a location value, a user identification value, a timestamp, and an image type; and    storing data files based on generated unique identification values.    
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein each data storage unit has a three-tiered directory lay-out schema.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the unique identification value comprises an image identification value.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising retrieving a file based on the unique identification value.  
   
   
       32 . A computer-implemented method for managing a digital image data storage system, the method comprising: 
 storing a digital image in a first image storage tier having predetermined performance characteristics; and    moving the digital image from the first image storage tier to one or more other image storage tiers based on a predetermined criterion including a third tier caching a requested digital image from a second tier if the requested digital image is unavailable on the first tier, the other image storage tiers having performance characteristics different from the first image storage tier's performance characteristics.    
   
   
       33 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 32 , wherein the other storage tiers comprise a second image storage tier and a third image storage tier, each having different performance characteristics.  
   
   
       34 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 32 , wherein the performance characteristics of the first image tier include availability, reliability and cost.  
   
   
       35 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 32 , wherein the performance characteristics of the second image tier include archival capacity.  
   
   
       36 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 32 , wherein the performance characteristics of the third image tier include availability and intermediate cost between the first and second image tiers.  
   
   
       37 . A digital image storage system comprising: 
 a plurality of interconnected image storage tiers and including a third tier caching a requested digital image from a second tier if the requested digital image is unavailable on a first tier, each tier having a combination of reliability and availability characteristics that differs from the other image storage tiers;    a plurality of predetermined image storage policies; and    a controller for moving digital images among different image storage tiers based on the plurality of predetermined image storage policies.    
   
   
       38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the other storage tiers comprise a second image storage tier and a third image storage tier, each having different performance characteristics.  
   
   
       39 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the performance characteristics of the first image tier include high availability, reliability and cost.  
   
   
       40 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the performance characteristics of the second image tier include a large archival capacity and inexpensive.  
   
   
       41 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the performance characteristics of the third image tier include high availability and intermediate cost.  
   
   
       42 . A protocol for managing a data storage system, the protocol comprising: 
 storing loaded data files in a first data storage unit;    storing in a second data storage unit data files residing on the first data storage unit for more than a predetermined period of time; and    storing in a third data storage unit a data file stored in the second data storage unit if the data file is unavailable on the first data storage unit.